Crested Butte, Colorado
Crested Butte is a town of 1,229 people in Gunnison County, Colorado.
Why visit Crested Butte
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 29 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Majestic Theater, Crested Butte and Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; January lows average -6°F, and about 203 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Crested Butte
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Crested Butte
Crested Butte is a home rule town located in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,639 at the 2020 United States census. A former coal mining town nestled in the Slate River Valley, Crested Butte is now known as a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and outdoor activities.
From the Wikipedia article Crested Butte, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
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Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Ski area · 2.3 mi
Ski area in Colorado, United States
Museums and landmarks12
Crested Butte
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum
Museum · 0.4 mi
331 Elk Avenue, Crested Butte
Jun-Sep:10:00-20:00; Dec-Mar:12:00-18:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Restaurants and cafes29
The Last Steep Bar and Grill
Bar and pub · Regional · 0.5 mi
208 Elk Avenue, Crested Butte
Su-Th 11:00-23:00;Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00
Camp 4 Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.4 mi
One of the most famous coffee places in Colorado, this little shack is covered in license plates and is a local and visitor favorite. ...
Fourth Street
Teocali Tamale
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.5 mi
Awesome little tamale shack with great green and red chile and burritos too!
Kochevar's Saloon
Bar and pub · 0.6 mi
Good bar with some pool tables
127 Elk Avenue, Crested Butte
17 more on the map.
History
The East River Valley where Crested Butte is located was once used as a summer residence by the Ute people. However, they were quickly displaced when European-Americans first entered the area. The first white people to explore the valley were beaver trappers, shortly followed by surveyors. Captain John Gunnison, after whom Gunnison County is named, was one of the early explorers to enter the area, leading an expedition in 1853.
In the 1860s and 1870s coal and silver mines began to open in the surrounding area, and many little mining towns formed. The Crested Butte, Colorado, post office opened on May 26, 1879, and the Town of Crested Butte was incorporated on July 15, 1880.
Mining, along with ranching, formed the nexus of the local economy. However, when silver mining began to decline, many of these towns failed. Crested Butte, however, was in a better position to survive because it served as a supply town to the surrounding area. When the coal mines closed, the town began to shrink, and eventually the local high school was closed. After graduating the class of 1965 (from 1966 until 1990), the Crested Butte public school only facilitated K-5 students, while 6th grade and higher attended school in Gunnison.
From the History section of Crested Butte, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship3
Queen of All Saints Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.4 mi
401 Sopris Avenue, Crested Butte
Shopping15
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare7
Map of Crested Butte
92 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | -6°F | 2.7 in | 42.2 in |
| Feb | 29°F | -2°F | 2.5 in | 35.2 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 7°F | 2.1 in | 29.1 in |
| Apr | 47°F | 19°F | 2.0 in | 19.4 in |
| May | 58°F | 28°F | 1.5 in | 6.7 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 34°F | 0.9 in | 0.3 in |
| Jul | 76°F | 40°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 74°F | 38°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 31°F | 1.9 in | 1.2 in |
| Oct | 54°F | 22°F | 1.7 in | 8.5 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 9°F | 2.0 in | 25.3 in |
| Dec | 27°F | -4°F | 2.3 in | 35.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Crested Butte (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Gunnison County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2003-04-09: Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2002-06-23: Co-Wiley Ridge Fire-06/23/02 (Fire)
- 2002-06-19: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Avion Club at Crested Butte Airport (CSE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Gunnison 22 mi south, about 36 min by car
- Aspen 24 mi north, about 38 min by car
- Snowmass Village 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Paonia 33 mi west, about 53 min by car
- El Jebel 38 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Carbondale 39 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Buena Vista 45 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Leadville 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Leadville North 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Glenwood Springs 51 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Crested Butte, Colorado 2025, RON RAFFETY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Crested Butte Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Depot, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Town of Crested Butte historical library, Helimedic39, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Town of Crested Butte 2021, Beenut20, CC0
- The Crest of Crested Butte (5876033900), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Typical building in Crested Butte (5875482339), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Crested Butte, Colorado, Corey Leopold, CC BY 2.0
- Mount crested butte 1988, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Historic Elk ave - first snow of 2014 on Mt. CB, Helimedic39, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Copper light (11248954924), Sheila Sund from Salem, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Three (9004601362), Sheila Sund from Salem, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Rhymes with Munch (5876028892), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Cogs and Wheels and Cages (5875479061), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- 2011 Road Odyssey (5875470729), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Andreas is in it for the Fun (5875475555), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Park Here, Townie (5875480711), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- The Horizontal and Vertical (5876043748), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- 2011-365-177 Free (as in Dandelions) (5875464965), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- 2011 Road Odyssey (5875472115), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Gothic Inverted (5876026902), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- 2011 Road Odyssey (5875477157), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Perfectly Blond Ale (5876027918), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- White and Blue (9004597776), Sheila Sund from Salem, United States, CC BY 2.0
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